What, me? I've never played in ESWC or an ESWC qualifier, i don't have an ESWC account or whatever it is that you need to play, and I don't really know how it all works either.
It'd be interesting to hear though. Xeno?

Anyway I'm qualified for the ESWC Grand Finals for the Netherlands so i can tell a thing or 2.

ESWC Grand Finals is a great tournament where countries are allowed to send their teams too. For example the Netherlands has 2 Quake 3 Players, 2 Warcraft 3 and 2 Trackmania Nation players. However there are 3 Trackmania players this time because Xenogear is automatically qualified, being the champion of last years edition.

Anyway these qualifiers have all pretty much been played so it's too late now. But for me they took place in a lan center in the Netherlands. Where a tournament is played and the top2 qualify.

Now as qualifier I have won a fully sponsored trip and stay to the Grand Finals in San Jose, USA. Which is held 24-28th of August. There you play the trackmania tournament over a few days. Where, if i recall correctly, 48 players from all over the world come to participate and go for the gold!

It's played in a 1v1v1v1 format, where often the best 2 go on, and the bottom 2 go to Lowerbracket or are out. Except finals ofcourse. Matches are played in 3 maps, where if someone reaches 40 points it goes next map ( 1 round win = 10 points ). All your points over 3 maps are added together and that's your final score.